Faucet for liquid-dispensing fountains.



IVI. I. HOPKINS.

FUCEI FOR LIQUID DISPENSING FOUNTAINS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. I, I9I3.

Lmwm 1319111911 Apr. 13, 1915.

rfoR/n/fx THE NUR/HS PETERS C0.. PHOTO-LITHO., WASHINGTON. D. C

' .l llE.

MERRITT J. HOPKINS, vOF SEYMOUR, CONNECTICUT.

FAUCET FOR LIQUID-DISPENSING FOUNTAINS.

To all whom it may concern .f

Be it known that I, Mnnnrr'r J. HOPKINS, of Seymour, in the county of New Haven, in the State of Connecticut, have invented new and useful Improvements in Faucets for Liquid-Dispensing Fountains, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

rlhis invention relates to a faucet for liquid dispensing fountains, and more particularly to a valve faucet adapted to be positioned in an opening in the wall of any liquid dispensing fountain to provide means for drawing liquid therefrom.4

The primary object of the invention is to provide means for drinking from said faucet through the medium of a paper straw or other similar device, to prevent the unsani tary use of the same glass by a plurality of people.

Another object is to provide means for utilizing` the faucet to discharge the liquid upon the operation of the valve, into any suitable receptacle, as a glass, and to provide means for preventing the water from discharging through the initial straw opening and for detlecting it downwardly into the receptacle as desired.

Still another object is to provide means for preventing the blowing of saliva into the fountain and to prevent the return of any water once in the faucet tothe fountain.

Other objects, uses and advantages will appear from the following description.

ln the drawings--Figure l is a perspective view of the faucet. Fig. 2 shows it in section as inserted in the wall of a receptacle, dispensing fountain or {iuid retainer, on line 2 2, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is an end view of the faucet having the front face cap removed. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of a slightly different form of valve.

The invention comprises a body portion -1- preferably formed of metal and provided with a circumferentially enlarged portion 2- at one end and having an externally threaded portion spaced apart from the enlarged portion *2- a sufficient distance to receive the Wall -3- of a receptacle and a washer -4.- of rubber or other suitable material, adapted to form a water tight joint in connection with the internally threaded cylindrical casing -5- closed at one end and adapted to have a threaded engagement with the externally threaded por- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led October 1, 1913.

lPaitented Apr. f3, i915.

serial No. 792,894.

tion of the body -l-. |The cylindrical casing -5- in connection with the body lforms a supplementary reservoir -6- communicating with the fountain or primary reservoir -7- through an opening -8- in the wall of the casing -5-. The opening `8- is provided with a ball or other valve -9- adapted to prevent the water in the supplementary reservoir 6h from returning to the fountain -7-. The body lis also provided with an opening for the reception of a valve stem -l0 said opening being enlarged toward its outer end to form a seat ll between which and a stop or plate -l2- rigid upon the valve stem, a spring *1S-is conned. The inner end of the valve stem -10 is provided with a suitable valve -lland its outer end with a suitable push button -15-. The body -1- is further provided with communicating conduits -16- and 17%n preferably angularly arranged with respect to each other, the conduit -16- also preferably eX- tending a short distance beyond the junction with the conduit -17- and tapered from its outer end toward its inner end for the reception of a paper straw or other suitable device. The conduit -17- leads to the supplementary reservoir -6 and its communication with said reservoir is adapted to be shut off by the valve -14-.

The body -lH has a notched or cut away portion -l8 at its front face and opening to one side and communicating with the conduit -16-, and has a cap or plate -19 secured to its front face by any suitable means, as the screws -20-. This cap or plate -19- is provided with a suitable opening for the passage of the valve stem -l0- and likewise a suitable outwardly beveled opening -21- axially alined with the conduit -16- so that a straw passed therethrough will naturally enter said conduit and the mouth of the conduit is enlarged outwardly to facilitate this action.

The opening -2lis provided with a curtain or closure, preferably a swinging, gravity operated one and, as shown, consists of two hinged members -23 and -24-. seated-in the notched portion -18-, the member -24- being rigidly secured to the body -1- so that the curtain or closure proper 23u normally lies over the opening `--21-, and ifthe valve -14- is open ated without the insertion of a straw, the water will be prevented by the closure from spurting out ofthe opening 421-' and will be deflected downwardly into a suitable receptacle, as the glass In operation, the fluid is supplied to the fountain or receptacle -7-'- in any suitable and well known manner and enters the reservoir -6 through the opening -8-. Upon pressing the button -15-, the valve stem and'its valve -lare forced inwardly against the action ofthe v'spring -13-, allowing communication of the conduit T7- with the reservoir -6- so that the fluid flows therethrough and is deflected downwardly .into the glass by means of the closure -23- and the cap.-l9-. The operation of the valve is exactly the same when a straw is used. The straw is inserted through the opening .-21- and the closure +23- is swungY upwardly thereby, as shown more clearly in dotted lines, Fig. 2, and the straw enters thel conduit -16- and by reason VVof the tapered form of the conduit the straw, when forced inwardly a sufficient distance, hasa substantially water tight engagement therewith andthe fluid, therefore,

' `iiows outwardly through thestraw. If one attempts to blow through the straw, the ball valve -9- prevents saliva or ythe water or Huid in the reservoir -6- from being projected or returning into the primary reservoir -Y-- A Fig. 4 illustrates a slightly different form of valve 14-, operating, however, in eX- actly the same-manner as the valve 14 ofFig. 2.

It will now be apparent, although I have shown and described a particular form of construction, that many changes may be made in the details thereof and in theform of the device without departing from the spirit of this invention as set forth in the appended claims. Y

l. In a faucet for liquid dispensing f ountains, a body portion having a conduit therethrough, a cap secured thereto having an opening .alined with said conduit, a valve A(lopies of this patent may be obtained for controlling the conduit, and a closure adapted to close the opening through the cap.

-2. In a faucet for liquid dispensing fountains, a body portion having a conduit therethrough, a cap secured thereto having an opening alined with said conduit, a valve controlling the conduit, and a gravity-operated swinging closure adapted to normally close the opening through the cap.

3. In a faucet for liquid dispensing fountains, a body portion having a notch in its front face and opening to one side, a cap attached to said body portion and extending across the front of the notch portion, an opening through said cap communicating with said notched portion, a conduit leading from said notched portion through the body portion and alined for a. portion of its length with the opening through the cap, and a valve controlling the conduit.

4. In a faucet for liquid dispensing fountains, a body portion eXteriorly threaded for a portion of its length, a casing having a closed end and internally threaded for a portion of its length for engagement with the threaded portion of the body, said body notched at its front face, said notch opening to one side of the body, a conduit leading from said notched portion to the interior of the casing, and a valve controlling said conduit.

5. In a faucet for liquid dispensing fountains, a body portion, a casing secured thereto to form a reservoir, said casing provided with an inlet opening through a. wall thereof, means for preventing iiuid from leaving the reservoir through said opening, a conduit through the body portion and communicating with the reservoir, and a valve controlling said conduit.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 24 day of September, 1913.

MERRITT J. HOPKINS.

Vitnesses: 1

CHARLES R. SUMPF,

F. M. PARSONS.

iive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

